Engine cooling system



Jan. 31, 1961 F. A. WYCZALEK 2,959,780

ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM 1 I Filed Jan. 12, 1959 A TTOR/VE-V ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM Floyd A. Wyczalek, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 786,065

8 Claims. (Cl. 123-4157) This invention relates to engine cooling and has particular relation to the cooling of a block or other parts of a V-type 8 cylinder internal combustion engine for automotive and other purposes.

It is proposed preferably to provide a die cast aluminum or other metallic block having rows of cylinders therein and cavities around the cylinders. A cooling fluid circulating passage also is provided in one or both sides of the block, the cavities being formed in the block between the cylinders and the passage or passages. Fins also preferably are cast on the block and within the passage means provided and in parallel relation to the cylinders. It is then proposed to circulate an eutectic alloy such as sodium and potassium (NaK 78) throughout the cavities within the heads of the cylinders and the block for absorbing the heat from the cylinders resulting from the operation of the engine. The walls of the block forming the cylinders and the cavities and the passage means then will transfer the heat absorbed from the eutectic alloy to a cooling fluid circulated in the passage means and over the fins provided. A plenum chamber may be formed beneath and in communication with the inlet end of the passage means for supplying cooling fluid such as air to the passage. A blower may be attached to the plenum chamber to supply the cooling fluid employed to the plenum chamber.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of an 8-cylinder U-type internal combustion engine having a cooling system embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the engine with parts eliminated and broken away and embodying parts of the structure embracing the invention.

The engine 10 embodying the invention has an engine block 11 in which rows of cylinders 12 embodying reciprocating pistons are formed. On the outer plane wall surfaces of the block 11 are rows of parallel fins 13 which are also parallel to the cylinders at the upper ends thereof. The rows of cylinders 12 may be closed by heads 14. The heads 14 and the block 11 are formed to provide cooling fluid cavities indicated at 16 and within which cooling fluid of any suitable kind may be circulated. In the present instances it is proposed to employ an eutectic alloy such as sodium and potassium (NaK 78). A pump 17 may be employed to pump the cooling liquid from one end of the heads 14 through conduits 18 and 19 and to deliver the cooling fluid to the lower part of the block. The pump also will cause the cooling fluid to circulate from the lower part of the block 11 to the opposite ends of the heads 14 through conduits 21. The block 11 also is formed to provide a crankcase 22 having an oil pan 23 secured to the lower extremity thereof. The cooling cavity means 16 may extend downwardly along the side walls of the crankcase to increase the cooling cavity capacity of the engine and the extent to which fins 13 may be eflieiently applied to the surface of the block. Plenum chambers 24 and cooling fluid passages 26 may be formed on' each side of the oil pan 23 and outside of the fins 13 by employing wall means such as that indicated at 27. The wall means extends upwardly along the outer edges of the fins and in contact or almost in contact with the outer edges of the fins to provide stack means tending to circulate air upwardly between the fins 13 and along the wall means 28 forming the cylinders 12 and the crankcase 22 and in which the cavities 16 and the fins 13 are formed. The heat resulting from the operation of the engine will tend to induce the flow of air inwardly of the plenum chamber means 24 and upwardly within the passage means 26. The cavity means 16 in the block 11 are formed between the cylinders 12 and the passage means 26 on each side of the engine 10. A blower 29 may be employed to supply air to the plenum chambers 24.

The air will flow upwardly through the passages 26 and in thermal contact with and between the fins 13 and the wall means 28 and will absorb heat from the coolant within the cavity means 16 which is absorbed by the coolant from the cylinders 12.

It will be noted that the flow of air within the passages 26 is from the cooler to the hotter parts of the block 11 and the cylinders 12, the cooler parts being adjacent the crankcase 22, the hotter parts adjacent the heads 14. This will provide a more constant temperature gradient between the cooling fluids in the cavities 16 and in the passages 26 and will tend more effectively to cool the engine 10. It will also be noted that when the passage is provided only on one side of a cylinder or a row of cylinders that this will tend to unbalance the heating and cooling of the cooling fluid in the cavity 16, thereby tending to cause a unidirectional thermo-syphon circulation of the cooling fluid in the cavity 16 from the hotter to the cooler parts of the structure.

I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said Wall means providing a cylinder and a cavity and a passage, said cavity being formed in said wall means between said cylinder and said passage, said cylinder having a reciprocating piston therein for compressing and expanding and exhausting combustible charges admitted to said cylinder, said cavity being adapted to contain cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage having fins formed in said wall means along the length of said passage and from the cooler to the hotter parts of said wall means to divide said passage into a plurality of passages defined by said fins and said wall means, said wall means embracing an outer wall enclosing said fins with said fins being disposed to extend entirely across said passages within said outer wall, said passage providing cooling fluid circulating means for said engine, said cooling fluid circulating means being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid along the length of said passage and between said fins and in thermal contact with said wall means and said fins and by conduction of heat through said wall means to cool another cooling fluid in said cavity means, said cooling fluid circulating means circulating said cooling fluid in said passage along the length of said passage and said fins and from the cooler to the hotter parts of said wall means.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member and a crankcase member, said members within said wall means providing a cylinder and a cavity and a passage and a crankcase, said cavity being formed in said wall means between said crankcase and cylinder and said passage, said cylinder having a reciprocating piston therein for compressing and expanding and exhausting combustible charges admitted to said cylinder, said cavity being adapted to contain cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage in said wall means being disposed to extend along said crankcase and said cylinder from the cooler to the hotter parts of said wall means and providing cooling fluid circulating means for said engine, said cooling fluid circulating means being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid adjacent said crankcase and said cylinder and in thermal contact with said wall means and by conduction of heat through said wall means to cool another cooling fluid in said cavity means, said cooling fluid circulating means circulating said cooling fluid in said passage throughout the length of said passage and adjacent said crankcase and said cylinder and from the cooler to the hotter parts of said cylinder.

3. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said wall means providing a cylinder and a cavity around said cylinder and a passage on the outside of said cavity and said cylinder, said wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinder being formed within said inner wall means and said cavity being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passage being formed between said intermediate and said outer wall means, said cavity being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage being adapted to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said Wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide parallel fins extending throughout the length of said passage and connecting said intermediate wall means to said outer wall means, said fins dividing said passage into a plurality of separate parallel passages defined by said fins and said intermediate and said outer wall means through which all of said another cooling fluid may ci culate in thermal contact with said fins and said intermediate and said outer wall means.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said wall means providing a cylinder and a cavity around said cylinder and a passage on the outside of said cavity and said cylinder, said wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinder being formed within said inner wall means and said cavity being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passage being formed between said intermediate and said outer Wall means, said cavity being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage being adapted 'to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide parallel fins extending throughout the length of said passage and connecting said intermediate wall means to said outer wall means, said fins dividing said passage into a plurality of separate parallel passages defined by said fins and said intermediate and said outer wall means through which all of said another cooling fluid may circulate in thermal contact with said fins and said intermediate and said outer wall means, and a pump communicating with said cavity and circulating said one cooling fluid in one direction from the inner to the outer end of said cylinder.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said wall means providing a cylinder and a cavity around said cylinder and a passage on one side of said cavity and said cylinder, said Wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinder being formed within said inner wall means and said cavity being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passage being formed between said "intermediate and said outer wall means, said cavity being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage being adapted to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide parallel fins extending in parallel relation to said cylinder throughout the length of said passage and from said intermediate wall means to said outer wall means, said fins dividing said passage into a plurality of separate parallel passages through which all of said another cooling fluid may circulate in thermal contact with said fins and said intermediate and said outer Wall means, said cavity on the side of said cylinder opposite said passage being out of thermal contact with said another cooling fluid for unbalancing the heating and cooling of said cylinder.

6. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said wall means providing a row of cylinders and a cavity around said cylinders and a passage on one side of said cavity vand said row of cylinders, said wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinders being formed within said inner wall means and said cavity being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passage being formed between said intermediate and said outer wall means on one side of said row of cylinders, said cavity being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage being adapted to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide a row of parallel fins extending in parallel relation to said cylinders and throughout the length of said passage and from said intermediate Wall means to said outer wall means, said fins dividing said passage into a plurality of separate parallel passages through which all-of said another cooling fluid may circulate in thermal cont-act with said fins and said intermediate and said outer Wall means, said cavity on the side of said row of cylinders opposite said passage being out of thermal contact with said another cooling fluid for unbalancing the heating and cooling of said cylinders.

7. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a pair of head members, said members within said wall means providing parallel rows of cylinders and cavities around said rows of cylinders and passages on the outer sides of said cavities and said rows of cylinders, said wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinders being formed within said inner wall means and said cavities being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passages being formed between said intermediate and said outer wall means on the outer sides of said rows of cylinders, said cavities being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passages being adapted to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide rows of parallel fins extending in parallel relation to said cylinders and throughout the length of said passages and from said intermediate wall means to said outer wall means, said fins dividing said passages into a plurality of separate parallel passages through which all of said another cooling fluid may circulate in thermal contact with said fins and said intermediate and said outer wall means, said cavities on the inner sides of said rows of cylinders and opposite said passages being out of thermal contact with said another cooling fluid for unbalancing the heating and cooling of said cylinders.

8. An internal combustion engine comprising wall means forming a cylinder member and a head member, said members within said wall means providing a row of cylinders and a cavity around said cylinders and a passage on one side of said cavity and said row of cylinders, said wall means including inner wall means and intermediate wall means and outer wall means, said cylinders being formed within said inner wall means and said cavity being formed between said inner and said intermediate wall means and said passage being formed between said intermediate and said outer wall means on one side of said row of cylinders, said cavity being adapted to circulate one cooling fluid for absorbing heat resulting from the operation of said engine, said passage being adapted to circulate another cooling fluid for cooling said wall means and for absorbing the heat absorbed by said one cooling fluid, said wall means also being formed to provide a row of parallel fins extending throughout the length of said passage and from said intermediate wall means toward said outer wall means, said cavity on the side of said row of cylinders opposite said passage being out of thermal contact with said another cooling fluid for unbalancing the heating and cooling of said cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,316,912 Marschall Sept. 23, 1919 

